Show appreciation to the entire community by donating free services to local nonprofits like animal shelters or women's shelters. This act of corporate social responsibility helps them, generates positive word-of-mouth, and creates sharable content.
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Instead of using traditional celebrity endorsements, Square's 'See You in the Neighborhood' campaign heroes its actual customers. This approach treats local business owners as influential figures in their own right, lending unparalleled authenticity and relevance to the campaign's storytelling.
MasterCard's purpose-driven marketing is designed to be self-funding. During its 'Stand Up to Cancer' campaign, the company's donation incentivizes card usage. This drives a permanent market share gain that generates enough incremental revenue to cover the charitable donation, proving purpose and profit are not mutually exclusive.
Many companies neglect simple acts of gratitude. However, personal, unexpected, and heartfelt 'thank you' gestures are one of the most effective and underutilized marketing tools for building loyalty and generating referrals.
Instead of generic gifts, thank customers with gift cards to other local businesses like coffee shops or power washers. This supports the local economy and can create a powerful, reciprocal referral network with those businesses.
A local roofing company creates "Mr. Beast"-style YouTube videos where they give away free roofs to people in need. This generates massive top-of-funnel awareness and goodwill, a tactic typically used by national creators, not local service businesses. It also makes the work more engaging for the owner and team.
Focusing relentlessly on giving value to your audience without expecting an immediate return is the foundation of brand building. This selfless approach, embodied by the "jab, jab, jab, right hook" model, ultimately creates more selfish gain (sales, reputation) than a transactional, sales-first mindset ever could.
Activism isn't binary. A 'covert' approach involves expressing values through business decisions like partnerships, hiring, or amplified voices. This is a valid, often safer, alternative to direct 'overt' public statements, allowing for a spectrum of engagement based on comfort and capacity.
Counterintuitively, sharing your best knowledge for free builds immense trust and authority. This strategy proves your expertise and makes potential clients eager to purchase your paid implementation services, overcoming skepticism in a crowded market.
Use ringless voicemails or direct calls to thank customers or wish them well during holidays without any attempt to upsell. This unexpected, purely appreciative contact builds significant goodwill and differentiates your brand.
Generosity towards employees and customers is more than just good ethics; it's a strategic move in the iterated game of business. It signals your intent to cooperate, which encourages reciprocal cooperation from others. This builds trust and leads to superior long-term outcomes versus a defect-first approach.
